Research & Decision

Jul 13, 2017

There is a ton of information out there on Bariatric Surgery, doctors, locations, etc. So how does one go about making the best decision? Let me give you a glimpse of how the research and decision process worked for me...

I've contemplated Bariatric Surgery since 2013. I met with doctors in Canada and the US, but due to work related relocations I never quite took the next leap. 

This year I swore to myself that I would do the surgery. I hit the forums, reading about people's experience with the Bariatric Gastric Sleeve surgery and their surgeons/centers/locations, etc. In these forums I learned that Mexico was becoming a hot location for Americans and Canadians looking to get this type of surgery. Aside from being cheaper, the surgeons are just as qualified, if not better, than the surgeons in US and Canada. I spent several days reading posts after posts and the three main Bariatric centers that kept coming up, were:

  1. Obesity Control Center - Surgeon Dr. Ariel Ortiz. He was showcased in Newsweek in 2011 as the top 15 Leaders in Bariatric Surgery and a patient of his and her surgery was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Price Tag: $6,500 +
  2. Baja Bariatrics - Surgeon Dr. Jalil Illan. Also a top ranked surgeon in Bariatric Surgery, he completed a fellowship with Mexican's renowned Bariatric Surgeon, Dr. Juan Lopez Corvala, who is considered the top 10 best Bariatric Surgeons (specializing in laparoscopic and gastric band surgeries ONLY) in the world. Price Tag: $4,600
  3. Mexicali Bariatric Center - Surgeon Dr. Rodolfo Wilhelmy, who worked side-by-side with the late Dr. Alberto Aceves who was, not only, a close friend of Dr. Ariel Ortiz, but also considered a top leader in Bariatric Surgery, especially known for his wonderful bedside manner. Price Tag: $6,000                                                                  

I'm not going to lie, it was a difficult decision. My decision was based on the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff (Surgeon, Coordinator, Nutritionist, etc.), transparency of information, communication, and price. Here are my insights:

  1. Dr. Ariel Ortiz: It is hard NOT to be impressed by Dr. Ariel Ortiz's credentials, but the price tag of $6,500 was for the surgery and the airport pick-up ONLY. It did not include medications (extra $200) nor the incentive spirometer ($10-$20). In addition, my sister who planned to accompany me was not allowed to be at the hospital during my surgery day and only allowed to come see me during visiting hours. Plus, I wasn't too keen on the post-op process (1 day at the hospital and 3 days at hotel). I would rather stay in the hospital for 3 days and 1 day at the hotel. 
  2. Dr. Jalil Illan: Dr. Jalil Illan was very accommodating with my schedule but the coordinator was unorganized, never answering my e-mails or getting back to me in a timely fashion. I felt like I was always running after them to get answers to my questions. For me this was a red flag. 
  3. Dr. Rodolfo Wilhelmy: He may not have all the accolades of Dr. Ariel Ortiz, but he is a board certified physician and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS). He practices in an accredited health care facility (Almater Hospital, which is also accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB)) and was a bariatric patient, himself. Dr. Wilhelmy has been doing Bariatric Surgery longer than both Dr. Ariel Ortiz and Dr. Jalil Illan. 

DecisionI went with Dr. Rodolfo Wilhelmy with Mexicali Bariatric Center. 

As I write this, I'm in Mexicali, staying at the Hotel Lucerna. Tomorrow, I go in for my surgery. I will still try to write another post about my Day 1 experience. BUT, before I do that, below find a few tips on researching the right physician for you:

A lot of people feel anxious about coming to Mexico for surgery. Reading the forums, some days I was comfortable about my decision, other days, I was apprehensive. To calm my anxiety, I did research on the accreditation of both the Doctor and Hospital I had picked for my surgery. Here are my recommended tips:

  1. The Mexican government has a registry for all accredited professionals (https://www.cedulaprofesional.sep.gob.mx/cedula/indexAvanzada.action) and their respective licenses. Your surgeon should be on here -- if they aren't, find yourself another doctor! 
  2. Make sure your surgeon has a FACS accreditation (https://www.facs.org/search/find-a-surgeon). Do not take this accreditation for granted, because for them to have this they need to meet ALL of the following criteria:
    1. Must be Board Certified
    2. Need to be a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
    3. They must practice in an Accredited Health Care Facility
    4. The Hospital must be accredited and evaluated by The Joint Commission. Basically, what this means is that the hospital has met The Joint Commission's quality and safety standards. 
  3. All Other certificates/accreditation: check every single one of them.  Yes, it is time consuming, but this is your life, here! You want to make sure you are being watched and taken care of before, during, and after going under the knife. I called a number of accrediting organizations to make sure everything checked out. Most of them have websites and directories, where you can either find or not find your doctor. In my research, I did come across doctors who said they had this or that accreditation and when I either searched or called the accrediting entity they denied having some of those doctors on their directory. So, make sure you do your homework and check.
  4. Patient Referrals. I did not prioritize this, because people don't always want to be contacted by strangers looking to ask questions about their procedure. However, it is good to know that Almater Hospital encourages patients to sign a release form to be referrals for other prospecting patients. It is a way for people to not feel so frightened about their trip or procedure in Mexico. Mexicali Bariatric Center also has a private Facebook page. It is a great way to connect with former patients and get additional feedback. I even got to talk to one of the patients who was undergoing surgery two days before my scheduled arrival. When I got to the hospital, today, I ran into the patient and we had a pleasant chat.

All in all, I feel I did the research necessary to make the right decision for ME. In no way does this mean that the other surgeons are not qualified. It just means that I felt comfortable with my choice and, thus far, I'm happy about it. :) 

 

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About Me
AZ
Location
39.4
BMI
VSG
Surgery
07/14/2017
Surgery Date
Aug 23, 2012
Member Since

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